1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information distribution apparatus, a method for distributing an installation program, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent image forming apparatuses having an operation panel, such as copying machines, have enabled an advanced print instruction on the operation panel. For example, such an image forming apparatus is capable of combining a plurality of pieces of print data scanned by a scanner or received via a network, adding a stamp and heading/footer information to the print data, and further making a print instruction such as saddle stitch binding. However, making such a print instruction on the operation panel takes a certain time. For example, when a number of users share an image forming apparatus, the operation panel will be occupied by one user operating it to make a print instruction. In particular, when many of the above-mentioned advanced print instructions are used, it becomes difficult to efficiently share and use the image forming apparatus.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of application programs which can carry out the above-mentioned advanced print instructions, runs on a personal computer, which issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus via the network (hereinafter referred to as client PC). The use of such application programs eliminates the need of operations on the operation panel, which makes it possible to efficiently share and use the image forming apparatus.
However, before using the application program, a user needs to preset in the application program the characteristics of the image forming apparatus subjected to print instruction. More specifically, the user needs to preset in the application program whether or not the image forming apparatus is capable of color printing and whether or not it is provided with bookbinding function, stamping function, and sorted discharge function. A method for making such setting in a simplified way is discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-63415. More specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-63415 discusses a method for releasing characteristic information of the image forming apparatus therefrom to the application program and for automatically making setting by using the released characteristic information from the application program.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-210284 discusses a method for customizing, when a user uses a new application program, the operation panel of the application program aiming at improving user convenience. The method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-210284 allows an administrator to customize the operation panel of the application program by loading a customization setting prepared by the administrator into the application program. More specifically, the operation panel can be customized such that setting menus and items regularly needed by the user are collectively arranged at a conspicuous section on the operation panel, and those not frequently used are arranged at an inconspicuous section or hidden.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-42062 discusses a technique for presenting to the user an application which best suits the print history such as the type of print media and the type of printed data.